Electric and hybrid cars to no longer get the silent treatment

Australian authorities are poised to introduce new regulations that would force electric and hybrid cars to emit a sound at low speeds to alert vision impaired and distracted pedestrians. During a meeting of all state and federal transport ministers in Adelaide earlier this month, it was proposed that “all electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and hybrid vehicles install an Acoustic Alerting System”, and that a regulation impact statement be ready in “early 2020”.